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In Reading Color

A New Format, Book Marks, New Memoirs, and Road Trips!

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

We’re introducing a new format for newsletters that we think will make the experience more reader-friendly. With it, we’ll include some interesting links, a bookish good, new releases, and a section of riot recommendations. Hope you like it!

Bookish Goods

4 bookmarks with Black women silhouettes and quotes

4 pack of bookmarks by 525DesignShop

I don’t know about you, but I can never have enough bookmarks. These are artful and thoughtful. The pack comes at $12.

New Releases

cover of The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Contreras grew up in the turbulent Colombia of the ’80s/’90s in a house filled with her mother’s magic. Her grandfather was known as a powerful curandero, or a community healer gifted with “the secrets,” and her mother was the first woman to inherit this gift. She offered fortune telling to clients and could cast out spirits with nothing more than a glass of water.

One day, Contreras suffers an injury to the head that is not unlike the one suffered decades earlier that precipitated her mother gaining access to her healer abilities. A shared dream between her, her sisters, and her mother ushers Contreras to make a sojourn to Colombia with her mother. There, they plan to (literally) dig up their family tree, uncovering the Indigenous and Spanish sides of her lineage and the violence— both physical and cultural— that is inherent to colonialism and its aftermath. She also has her own reckoning with her family’s gifts and what they mean for her.

cover of Why Didn't You Tell Me? by Carmen Rita Wong

Why Didn’t You Tell Me? by Carmen Rita Wong

In this memoir, Wong has a bone to pick with her Dominican mom. Except she can’t, really, since her mother has already passed away. Before she died, though, she had moved Wong from living with Chinese immigrant Peter Wong— whom she still calls Papi— in Harlem to New Hampshire with Charlie, who was presented as the picture of “ideal” white fatherhood. After a DNA test reveals that neither man is her real father, Wong sets out to unravel the truth behind her parentage, all while trying to reckon with a lifetime of never fitting in.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Riot Recommendations

The mini Hey YA podcast episode I recorded that’s coming out tomorrow highlights a few books with road trips, so I thought I’d come up with a few more for the In Reading Color audience. As I mention in the episode, I wanted to do an episode on road trips because they’re one of the things I think of and like about summer. They can be fun, freeing, and light-hearted opportunities for growth. They can also be catalysts that set already existing issues to boil in a pressurized setting. These books lean towards the latter.

the cover of Kings of B'more

Kings of B’more by R. Eric Thomas

This is television writer R. Eric Thomas’ YA debut (he also wrote the hilarious Here For It). When it’s revealed that besties Harrison and Linus’ days of hanging out are coming to a close at the end of the week when Linus’ family will move to South Carolina, Harrison is low key devastated. To commemorate their last days together, he comes up with a Black and queer Ferris Bueller’s Day Off-esque list of memorable activities. The mini road trip across Baltimore becomes memorable in some undesirable ways, too, though, as they dodge their overly protective parents and have to contend with racism. This isn’t a super light read, but it has its moments of lightness. It really shines in how dearly it portrays a Black, queer friendship that doesn’t try to veer into the romantic.

sing unburied sing book cover

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

This reminded me so much of Toni Morrison and William Faulkner, specifically As I Lay Dying. In it, 13 year old Jojo and his toddler sister Kayla are forced to leave their grandparents’ home where they live— and where his grandmother lies dying from cancer— to journey with their drug addicted mother to the prison where their father is set to be released. Ghosts— of family members and departed friends—surface as the family contends with the lasting effects of racism, trauma, and general dysfunction.

Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

-Erica

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In Reading Color

TEST: Women’s Rights Are Simply Human Rights

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

I think that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there is an urge by some to view everything surrounding it as women’s issues. And they are, but that’s because they’re human rights issues. The forces that threaten equality, at least in the western world, can largely be grouped under the umbrella of the white patriarchy. The concept of intersectionality has shown that they compound each other’s negative effects, thereby strengthening each other’s effectiveness. This is why sexism must be toppled to stop racism, ableism must be abolished to eradicate classism, and so on.

The books I’m discussing today will focus on gender-based violence, but also showcase just how united all of these forms of oppression are in achieving their goal of achieving privilege for the few.

Bookish Goods

enamel bookmark of a Black woman from behind in a swimsuit and hat holding a book

Something cute by Etsy shop

cute la la la $10. (fake link)

New Releases

Believing cover

Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence by Anita Hill

Okay, so can we be real for a moment and acknowledge how, if those in power had believed Anita Hill in the ’90s about Clarence Thomas, we might not be in this mess today? Okay, cool. Here, Hill recounts her testifying against Thomas’ sexual deviancy as she gets into the origins and pervasiveness of gender-based violence in the U.S. She makes the case of how it not only affects its victims, but everyone. I have to say, her speaking out against a man of power concerning sexual misconduct in 1991 as a Black woman is fearless af and she needs every last one of her flowers.

A graphic of the cover of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century

Disability Visibility by Alice Wong

blurb blurb blurb

Riot Recommendations

cover of Girls Like Us

Girls Like Us by Randi Pink

I wanted to include a novel since I feel like seeing something through the eyes of the characters helps to make it more real and current for some. Also, this one takes place in the summer before Roe v Wade. It’s about four teenage girls from different backgrounds who are all dealing with unplanned pregnancies. Ola is a teen in rural Georgie who is pregnant, the responsibility of which falls on her younger sister Izella. Then there’s Missippi, who hasn’t fully realized the gravity of her situation. Missippi’s father sends her to Chicago to give birth and it’s there that she meets Susan, who is white and whose father is an anti-choice politician.

co er of We Are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women's Coming-of-Age Ceremonies (Indigenous Confluences)

We Are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women’s Coming-of-Age Ceremonies (Indigenous Confluences)  by  Cutcha Risling Baldy  

This book shows how the women of the Hoopa Valley Tribe started to revitalize the traditional coming-of-age dance for women called the  Flower Dance. It’s a dance that, like many other aspects of Indigenous culture, hadn’t been practiced in decades. To recover the dance, the women consult their elders, medicine women, oral histories, and even museum archives. Baldy discusses the revitalization of the dance within the context of colonization and the gender inequality— and therefore gender violence— that came with it. There are many parallels between Indigenous women’s experiences with being controlled through reproduction and Black women’s. With both groups, the U.S. government has flip-flopped between forced birth and forced sterilization, with a dose of separating children from families thrown in between.

Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Categories
In Reading Color

Women’s Rights Are Simply Human Rights

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

I think that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there is an urge by some to view everything surrounding it as women’s issues. And they are, but that’s because they’re human rights issues. The forces that threaten equality, at least in the western world, can largely be grouped under the umbrella of the white patriarchy. The concept of intersectionality has shown that they compound each other’s negative effects, thereby strengthening each other’s effectiveness. This is why sexism must be toppled to stop racism, ableism must be abolished to eradicate classism, and so on.

The books I’m discussing today will focus on gender-based violence, but also showcase just how united all of these forms of oppression are in achieving their goal of achieving privilege for the few.

Believing cover

Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence by Anita Hill

Okay, so can we be real for a moment and acknowledge how, if those in power had believed Anita Hill in the ’90s about Clarence Thomas, we might not be in this mess today? Okay, cool. Here, Hill recounts her testifying against Thomas’ sexual deviancy as she gets into the origins and pervasiveness of gender-based violence in the U.S. She makes the case of how it not only affects its victims, but everyone. I have to say, her speaking out against a man of power concerning sexual misconduct in 1991 as a Black woman is fearless af and she needs every last one of her flowers.

co er of We Are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women's Coming-of-Age Ceremonies (Indigenous Confluences)

We Are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women’s Coming-of-Age Ceremonies (Indigenous Confluences)  by  Cutcha Risling Baldy  

This book shows how the women of the Hoopa Valley Tribe started to revitalize the traditional coming-of-age dance for women called the  Flower Dance. It’s a dance that, like many other aspects of Indigenous culture, hadn’t been practiced in decades. To recover the dance, the women consult their elders, medicine women, oral histories, and even museum archives. Baldy discusses the revitalization of the dance within the context of colonization and the gender inequality— and therefore gender violence— that came with it. There are many parallels between Indigenous women’s experiences with being controlled through reproduction and Black women’s. With both groups, the U.S. government has flip-flopped between forced birth and forced sterilization, with a dose of separating children from families thrown in between.

cover of Girls Like Us

Girls Like Us by Randi Pink

I wanted to include a novel since I feel like seeing something through the eyes of the characters helps to make it more real and current for some. Also, this one takes place in the summer before Roe v Wade. It’s about four teenage girls from different backgrounds who are all dealing with unplanned pregnancies. Ola is a teen in rural Georgie who is pregnant, the responsibility of which falls on her younger sister Izella. Then there’s Missippi, who hasn’t fully realized the gravity of her situation. Missippi’s father sends her to Chicago to give birth and it’s there that she meets Susan, who is white and whose father is an anti-choice politician.

A Little Sumn Extra

See what the stars have to say about your next read

Get a book rec based off your favorite pop star!

Must-read under the radar queer reads from the first half of the year!

Dubai opened a new book-shaped library

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

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In Reading Color

Queer Books in Translation

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

I’m really looking forward to the next few days I have off and even have a (very ambitious) list of books I’d like to read. Naturally, I know they can’t all be read in a week, but such are the book life struggles!

Also, I thought I should follow up on the impact of Beyonce’s single that was released last week. The influence! If you haven’t listened, you need to. It’s ’90s house with a touch of Big Freedia. There’s even a little delicious shade that comes with.

As one of the funnest months (my birthday! Pride!) ends, I wanted to highlight a few queer, translated books.

cover of Notes of a Crocodile by Notes of a Crocodile by

Notes of a Crocodile by by Qiu Miaojin, translated by Bonnie Huie

I’ve written in another newsletter about how Miaojin was Taiwan’s first openly lesbian writer who was active in the late ’80s/early 90s. And Notes of a Crocodile seems autobiographical. In it, the alienation college student Lazi feels because of her attraction to women leads to severe depression. The novel is structured as eight notebooks, which detail Lazi’s romantic struggles, as well as the lives of her complicated friends. This is a queer coming-of-age novel that is more character than plot based and really captures the essence of feeling alienated from others. Miaojin wasn’t able to see her novel achieve cult classic status, sadly, as she passed away in ’95.

cover of disoriental

Disoriental by by Négar Djavadi, translated by Tina A. Kover 

This won the 2019 Lambda award for bisexual fiction and is both a family saga and story of Iranian history. Kimiâ Sadr serves as narrator and is the youngest daughter in a family of intellectuals who speak out against the government. She jumps back and forth through time, telling a story that juxtaposes her current experience with her family’s past, effectively telling Iran’s past in the process. While waiting in a fertility clinic in France, where she and her family fled to when she was ten, she recounts her childhood as a person descended from a harem. The story’s many characters, changing timelines, and historical events are tragic at times, but can also be funny, with Sadr occasionally breaking the fourth wall.

the cover of Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin

Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin, translated by Anton Hur 

San is a young woman in South Korea in 1970s who first faces rejection from her parents, and the stigma of her father having left, and later rejection from the one person who made her feel less alone. Now 22 and working in a florist’s shop, San continues to struggle with relationships, partially because how things ended with her childhood friend still haunts her.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

A Little Sumn Extra

Boston Globe-Horn book award winners announced

Which of these book trends have you noticed?

Do you know what Twitterature is?

Librarian vandalizes two public libraries and more censorship news


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

Categories
In Reading Color

New Releases and Award-Winning Crime Writing

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

It has been super lovely in my neck of the woods weather-wise. It feels like spring, actually, and not like the soul-crushing summer I know it can turn into. Here’s to hoping I don’t find out I’ve just jinxed myself come this time next week.

In stan news, Beyonce’s Renaissance is nigh, and by the time this newsletter goes out, her first single will have dropped. I’ll def be staying up with the girlies to discuss *fingers crossed for a simultaneous video drop*.

cover of Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic

Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic by Lauren Ho

Listen, Lucie is done waiting around to find the right guy to be in a relationship and co-parent with. So, after a nasty breakup leaves her childless, she decides to just find someone to raise a kid with and call it a day. The co-parenting website she goes on helps her come into contact with Collin Read, who shares a culture with her, and, most importantly, is ready to be a dad. Once she becomes pregnant, the two go back to Singapore and to her disapproving parents. They’re not the only ones to contend with, though, there’s also the way her body’s changing, work pressures, and an ex-fiance who pops up. Messy.

cover of An Immense World

An Immense World by Ed Yong

Here, Yong, who won a Pulitzer for his reporting on COVID-19, has us take a step out of our own experiences. He details ways the world is perceived by living things other than humans, including the, um, interesting organs that do the sensing (apparently there are animals with eyes on their genitals, which sounds… inconvenient). There are turtles that can track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that send out electrical messages into rivers, and squids that can see sparkling whales. I love books like this that make us question everything we know about life. So much of what we know to be true is actually just based on our senses — and even what we know we can’t perceive. This book shows how our senses aren’t to be trusted, which means that so much of what we know to be true may actually just be… what? Constructs, I guess?

Another interesting point the author makes: that each organism is capable of sensing only a small fraction of what is able to be perceived in the world. It reminds me of how humans are connected to other living things, and how we’re all needed in order to perceive the world.

cover of Ibram X. Kendi

How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Hopefully J. Patterson will pick up a copy of this one for himself. In it, Kendi continues to spread the word of anti-racism and its importance. With this book, he uses his wife’s experience with negligent maternal care and his daughter’s preschool years as starting points for talking about the importance of anti-racist work for children. Racism’s effects may start with children, but can impact us throughout our entire lives. By fighting against it — which would mean overhauling the education and health systems, according to Kendi — we can ensure a better quality of life for everyone. I like how he includes a lot of personal stories and shows how he’s made mistakes and had to reconsider how he did things.

More New Releases

Children’s and Young Adult

In the Beautiful Country cover

In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo

The Silence that Binds Us by Joanna Ho

Echoes of Grace by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

The Loophole by Naz Kutub

Adult

cover of On Rotation

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi 

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

The Sizzle Paradox by Lily Menon

The Self-Made Widow by Fabian Nicieza

A Little Sumn Extra

Cozy mysteries coming out in the next half of the year

An interesting look at how books make us feel emotions

The best sci-fi books you’ve never heard of!

S.A. Cosby Won the Dashiell Hammett Prize for crime writing


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

Categories
In Reading Color

Juneteenth and the Lambda Awards!

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

So Juneteenth is next week, which is interesting because it hasn’t been a federal holiday long enough to have established traditions. And I haven’t yet gotten use to thinking of it ahead of time. I would love to celebrate it, though, of course, and have done a few things with friends (or attempted to) throughout the years. I wonder what new wonder traditions will form… like, will this be another opportunities for uncles to shine? Or will there be some other non-BBQ related get together since we’re still in this panorama. Whatever develops, I hope Pride Month gets factored in. As we celebrate, here are some books that came to mind as I was thinking on the holiday.

cover of On Juneteenth

On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

This book is a natural place to start, especially since it came out about a month before Juneteenth became a federal holiday. In it, Reed details the history of Juneteenth— what led up to it and what came after. I love it when historical topics get a more personal treatment, and here, Reed includes her personal ties to the holiday as a native Texan. She reckons with the white male identity that a lot of Texas projects to the rest of the country, showing instead how diverse Texas is and how much non white men have contributed to its— and the rest of America’s— history.

cover of Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink

Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink

A part from both being key moments in American history, the Tulsa Massacre and Juneteenth have a few things in common. For one, they both took place in June. Secondly, and maybe most importantly, they were two moments in U.S. history concerning the treatment of Black people that have largely been ignored until recent years.

Angel of Greenwood is a historical YA novel that follows two characters that kind of represent two of the major schools of thought regarding Black progress. Sixteen-year-old Angel is a quiet church girl who thinks that Booker T. Washington’s idea of tolerance and slow growth without conflict is best for Black people. This is contrasted against Seventeen-year-old Isaiah’s belief that Black people should rise up and take their place alongside white people, which originated with W.E.B. Du Bois. The two kids are thrown together once their teacher recruits them to work in her mobile library, but their entire lives are irrevocably changed once a violent white mob descends on their town on May 31, 1921.

cover of LIbertie

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

This is one those historical novels that we need more of. While it takes place in New York City during the Reconstruction Era— which is right after Juneteenth— its portrayal of Black life isn’t mired in slavery and ill treatment. While these things are of course understandably present in stories about Black people during this time, it gets tiring when that’s the only narrative offered. Here, Libertie Sampson was born free in Brooklyn and lives with her mother, one of the only Black women practicing as a doctor. Her mother has a plan for Liberty to follow in her footsteps by becoming a doctor and practicing alongside her. Libertie has her own ideas, though, preferring the arts to science. She accepts a proposal by a young Haitian doctor, who promises she’ll be his equal in Haiti, but tests determine that was a lie. I would have been beyond tight after traveling all that way to Haiti to discover everything was a sham.

Libertie is in a constant quest to discover what freedom means for her as she navigates the gender discrimination and racism of the world at large, as well as the classism and colorism present in her own community. Plus, Roxane Gay gave this five stars on Goodreads, so there’s that.

A Little Sumn Extra

Conservative group launches “Hide the Pride” to Remove Books from Library Pride Displays

I love the idea of a bookish staycation…

A quiz to help you find your next queer read!

The best queer books of the year according to the Lambda Awards!

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

Categories
In Reading Color

Pride and New Releases!

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

The world is still on fire, but at least it’s Pride Month! As celebrations ramp up, I hope everyone stays safe. I’ve included an assortment of new releases and highlighted a few new queer books that are so, so interesting.

cover of The Final Strife by  Saara El-Arifi

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi (June 23)

This one isn’t out for a couple more weeks, but I’m super excited for it! It’s the first in a fantasy trilogy based in African and Arabian mythology. In it, three women take on an empire that bases social standing on blood. Blue bloods, like Sylah, are poor workers who lead the resistance, while red blooded people like Anoor wield magic that has allowed them to secure control and an elite status. Finally, clear-blooded people, like Hassa, are enslaved. Despite coming from different social classes, the women provide the spark that brings about revolution.

cover of NUCLEAR FAMILY BY JOSEPH HAN

Nuclear Family by Joseph Han

Jacob’s parents are hoping to boost their Delicatessen’s profile when the unthinkable happens: Jacob is caught on video trying to cross the Korean demilitarized zone that lies between North and South Korea. Jacob is arrested and the video goes viral, plunging his family into a well of suspicion. The gag? Jacob is being possessed by his grandfather, who’s desperate to cross back into North Korea and reunite with the family he left behind. As his parents worry about their livelihood and whether their son will be released, his sister copes by smoking weed more and more. Meanwhile, none of them know of the possession. This is funny at times and has what I think is a pretty original premise that allows for new ways to look at family history and dysfunction.

cover of God’s Children Are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu

God’s Children Are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu

Ifeakandu’s debut collection has nine stories about gay men in Nigeria. Each one adds a nuanced and compassionate perspective to queer, African narratives. In the first story, Auwal tries to get help with money troubles from his lover, Chief Emeka, even though he’s not sure he can fully trust the man. In the title story, two boys in college hang on to their romance, even as the pressures of societal expectations threatens it. Throughout, characters experience joy and passion, even as they very carefully navigate danger, and Ifeakandu is good at putting readers in the minds of his queer characters in a modern-day Nigeria.

Children’s

cover of The Lost Ryu

Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, & Daniel Sousa

Cat & Cat Adventures: The Goblet of Infinity by Susie Yi 

The Lost Ryū by Emi Watanabe Cohen

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu (June 14; Margaret K. McElderry Books) 

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Young Adult

cover of The Merciless Ones

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

Private Label by Kelly Yang

The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna

Empress Crowned in Red by Ciannon Smart 

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

Adult

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine 

cover of Woman of Light

These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany

Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings edited by Reyna Grande and Sonia Guiñansaca

Asylum: A Memoir & Manifesto by Edafe Okporo 

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

Mother Ocean Father Nation by Nishant Batsha

Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide by Britt Hawthorne and Natasha Yglesias

The City Inside by Samit Basu

A Little Sumn Extra

Here are some historical YA reads

An interesting look at cozy mysteries by authors of color and what they say about female power

Bridgerton Character quiz!

On Pride displays in libraries

Speaking of Pride in libraries, these libraries in Louisiana announced they won’t be having Pride displays

These Impossible Things (mentioned above) is Jenna Bush Hager’s Today show book club pick for June

The latest in censorship news


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

Categories
In Reading Color

The Nebula Awards and a Little Escapism

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but it has been a helluva week. While I’m fed up and angry, I’m also having moments where I need to step away from the news updates and regroup. And I know I’m not the only one.

So, with this newsletter, I’ve decided to talk about some books that can offer some sort of pick-me-up or even a little escapism. Now, of course, what counts as a light-hearted and fun read for me may be different from the next person, so I’ve made sure to include a variety of genres, like romance, fantasy, and contemporary.

Whatever you decide to read, I hope you and yours are safe!

Also, here is a Verified Gofundmes for Uvalde families that another Book Riot writer shared.

the cover of the order of the pure moon reflected in water

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

If you’ve ever wondered about wuxia fantasy, this novella is wuxia lite. In it, a nun from the Pure Moon Order joins a group of thieves *clutches pearls*. With this new ragtag team of criminals, she hopes to protect a sacred object. While the characters live in a time of war, they still manage to find happiness through found family, humor, and queer joy. Cho writing is lyrical and the magic in her world subversive.

cover The Way of the Househusband

The Way of the House Husband by Kousoke Ono

I haven’t been recommending too many graphic novels in this newsletter, so let me start remedying that by recommending this slice-of-life manga! For those of you unfamiliar, slice-of-life is essentially just as it sounds: you’re following characters who are doing everyday things. As someone who has always gravitated towards the fantastical as far as books are concerned, I’ve only just began to get more into this quiet genre and realized how much I like it. It’s low-key, low-stakes, and very relaxing for me. And, in the case of The Way of the Househusband, it’s also pretty funny.

Main character Tatsu provides a good portion of the comic relief as a former member of the yakuza who now spends his days as a loving househusband to his wife Miku. Turns out you can take the husband out of the yakuza, but you can’t take the yakuza out of the husband. Tatsu’s natural aesthetic and demeanor are just a little too gangster-adjacent and still reflect his time as the much-feared “Immortal Dragon.” And, his facial expressions still make people sweat. They’re also just a little out of place in the clearance section of the grocery store. Tatsu brings a hilarious intensity to the most mundane and everyday househusband chores, and it’s fun to watch him interact with his neighbors.

Get you a man who can do both! “—Miku, probably

*Bonus*: here’s an ode to the hilariously scary ex-gangster boss.

US cover of ayesha at last

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

This is a contemporary and Muslim Pride and Prejudice retelling that tells the story of Ayesha Shamsi. Ayesha dreams of being a poet, but has to sideline that path so she can work as a teacher to pay back money she owes to her uncle. She also has to contend with constant reminders that her causing Hafsa is getting all the marriage proposals. Sheesh.

When she comes to meet the ultra traditional (but handsome) Khalid, the two are turned off from each other, and, well, you know how the rest goes if you’re familiar with Pride and Prejudice. While this is a retelling of a story that’s commonly retold, it breathes new life into it. Ayesha’s poetry-writing, bold character is likable, and her family members entertaining. Plus, Talia Hibbert, author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown, said it’s super romantic, which makes its romantic-ness a scientific fact.

cover of Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders

Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders by Aliette de Bodard

This is a fun romp through a gothic and Vietnamese-inspired fantastical world. When someone is found dead nearby, dragon Prince Thuan grudgingly finds himself once again in the thick of it, politically speaking. While Thuan is salty, his messy fallen angel husband Asmodeus is actually enjoying the investigation. With Thuan’s wit and Asmodeus’ fighting skills, the two try to solve the murder… but their relationship also needs “solving.”

A Little Sumn Extra

Nebula Awards were announced!

Here are some of the best recent book adaptations

The worst covers of classic books

Fun quiz on first lines in YA novels

A discussion of the “AAPI” label

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

Categories
In Reading Color

Rewriting Books for Feminist Characters and New Releases

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

Summer decided to jump out this past week here in the Northeast and give us a couple 90 degree days *sob*. I’ve always been averse to hot weather, despite being a summer baby born in the South, and have been just trying to make it. So, trust and believe that I will be firmly planted under the shade/inside in front of a fan with these new releases!

cover of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Feyi Adekola’s best friend Joy, who she shares a brownstone with, has convinced her that it’s time to start dating again. The last time Feyi was with anyone was five years ago when an accident killed her husband. Now, Feyi is having a steamy lil something-something at a rooftop party with a man she just met. Probably not what her friend had in mind, but anyway… Since the encounter, Feyi has become open to other men and starts to explore new love interests, even as she is still contending with grief.

cover of The Evening Hero by Marie Myung-Ok Lee; illustration of tree branches growing down from the top of the cover into several pastel-colored shapes

The Evening Hero by Marie Myung-Ok Lee

After the Korean War, Dr. Yungman Kwak left everything he knew behind in Korea when he immigrated to the U.S. For the last few decades, he’s done his best to achieve the American DreamTM in a small Minnesotan town as a doctor delivering babies. That is, until drama arrives in the form of a letter that threatens to expose the truth about who he is. Now he’s questioning all his life choices, and even if what America promised him is even real amidst all the ways the U.S. fails its citizens. This books travels back and forth in time and has a dark sense of humor.

cover of The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy Book 1) by Chelsea Abdullah; an illustration of a gold locket design surrounded by swirling flames

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

Loulie al-Nazari finds and sells illegal magic with the help of her jinn bodyguard. One day she saves the life of a prince and attracts the attention of his sultan father, who blackmails her into finding a priceless item lest she be executed. The item in question is an ancient lamp that has the power to restore barren land, but that comes at the cost of all jinn. So, she sets out with the sultan’s oldest son to find the lamp, encountering ghouls, a jinn queen, and her and her bodyguard’s pasts along the way.

I love a good fantasy adventure, and am super excited to read one that has One Thousand and One Nights teas!

More New Releases

Children’s

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

cover of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son by John Parra

YA

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho

Adult

cover of Mirror Made of Rain by Naheed Phiroze Patel

My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef: A Cookbook by Kwame Onwuachi 

We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama

Translating Myself and Others by Jhumpa Lahiri 

City of Orange by David Yoon

Mirror Made of Rain by Naheed Phiroze Patel 

A Little Sumn Extra

Biography of Rapper MF DOOM Coming in 2024

That Time Isabel Allende Got Fired for (Re)Writing Feminist Characters

1600 book predicting the existence of aliens

The Worst Books of All Time

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E

Categories
In Reading Color

The Fight for Control and “Booklooks” as New Method of Censorship

Welcome to In Reading Color, a space where we focus on literature by and about people of color.

Between New York and California, this past weekend was unreal. I’ve been oscillating between thinking things will never change, maybe there’s hope, and a bit of desensitization, which alarms me. It truly feels like we’re living in a dystopian novel. And, even though there is a clear cut path to how we got here, it’s still a little hard to believe that we actually are here, and that there’s the potential for it to get a lot worse.

I personally think what we’re seeing now in terms of censorship, the attack on women’s rights, the fight against universal healthcare and minimum wage increases, and hate-based violence (among all the other things!) are all a result of a desire to return to the days of slavery.

I realize say that may seem like I’m reaching back too far, but follow me for a minute. It was during a trip to the National Museum of African American History in D.C. that I realized that capitalism, as it is in the U.S., can be traced back to slavery. There was a descriptive plaque under a display of confederate money I was reading that detailed how so many of today’s monied families got their initial wealth from slavery. In fact, it was through slavery that the country was able to become wealthy overall and gain an international presence. There are even management practices that enslavers used that are used by capitalists today.

From attacking abortion rights to encouraging hate crimes, so much of the far-right’s rhetoric and machinations seem to be centered on regaining that absolute kind of control over others that mirrors slavery. I think the domestic terrorism we saw this weekend is a part of that.

I thought about talking about some books today that were more light-hearted, but my spirit said otherwise, so I’ll stick to ones aimed at dismantling the patriarchy.

Let’s go.

book cover killing the black body by dorothy roberts

Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts

This is from almost twenty years ago and still wholly relevant. I largely credit the realization about capitalism and this book with my thoughts around how our current state is directly tied to slavery. Here, Roberts explains how the fight for— and oppression of— reproductive rights in the United States started with enslaved Black women. She talks about how the regulation of Black women’s reproduction has “been a central aspect of racial oppression in America.” Case in point, one of the United States’ first laws concerned the social status of the child of enslaved women and white men. She goes on to talk about other aspects of reproductive health, like contraception, abortion, and sterilization, in the modern day and how all of these things have been used at some point to control Black women’s reproduction as a way to control Black people overall.

as long as grass grows cover

As Long as Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker

The U.S. was, of course, started with taking control of the land, which meant displacing entire populations of Indigenous people. Then, further control was exerted by breaking up families and sending children to residential schools, and eventually forcing BIPOC into certain areas that were disproportionately affected by environmental issues. Gilio-Whitaker talks about how Indigenous people, especially women, have been fighting against white supremacy— and the food and water insecurity, loss of sacred sites, and treaty violations it has brought— since the colonizers first came ashore.

between the world and me

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

There is a lot packed into this 152-page nod to James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. Coates describes the feeling of disembodiment that Black Americans have felt for so long. He writes a letter to his son explaining the feeling and how it’s tied to police brutality, racist narratives, poverty and other aspects of systemic racism. He also tells his son to expand past the narrative and reclaim/claim himself.

A Little Sumn Extra

A new censorship effort in the form of “booklooks”

Some teens have started a fundraising auction to fight book bans

Author Rick Riordan had some words— a letter, actually— for people complaining about the casting of a young, Black actress

Here’s a brief history of bell hooks

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


Thanks for reading; it’s been cute! If you want to reach out and connect, email me at erica@riotnewmedia.com or tweet at me @erica_eze_. You can find me on the Hey YA podcast with the fab Tirzah Price, as well as in the In The Club newsletter.

Until next time,

-E